The State of Armenia's Environment

PFA’s Report on “The State of Armenia’s Environment” provides an overview of environmental challenges facing Armenia and highlights the severity of the current situation. It is intended to serve as a reference to a complex set of environmental problems and issues that are closely intertwined with the country’s development. Through the combined application of academic analysis and practical experience of its authors, the Report argues that improving environmental governance requires increased transparency and public participation in key policy decisions as well as the effective implementation and enforcement of existing environmental laws. The open pit mining operations in Northern Armenia—the subject of the Teghut case study contained in the Report—is an example of one facility where both urgent policy changes and adequate enforcement of existing policies are needed. Corruption and environmental activism are also discussed in some detail in the Report.